Firefly: Legacy
by StormyTeacup
Summary: Malcolm Reynolds is MIA leaving behind his 12 year-old daughter, Ellie Reynolds. Refusing to believe that her father is lost forever she vows to find him. 11 years pass and Ellie is the Captain of Serenity and her first mate - Jayne Cobb. Ellie, Jayne, and crew travel about the 'verse taking jobs to keep 'em flying and to get Ellie closer to finding her father.
1. Chapter 1 - Desperate Times

Just a heads up; this isn't your average Firefly Fanfic. It takes place after the TV series ended and sometime into that future. It follows the story line developed in the TV series but is not connected the comics that have been released.

It's the story of Ellie Reynolds and her new/old crew. Don't worry, there will be appearances and cameos by all our favourites. I know my characters aren't familiar at the moment - but I hope that you will give them a chance and perhaps they might grow on you, just a little ;)

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 1 – Desperate Times…

Thunderous hooves pounded kicking up mounds of dust in their wake. Ellie urged her horse faster and pulled hard on the reins to cut into patch of dry brush for cover. The dead branches ripped at her face. A loud bang followed by a quick snap shot splinters in her eyes as bullet tore through the tree next to her.

That was their best shot yet. Before the chase began Ellie got a quick minute to size up her foe. Roughly a dozen dust covered men who spent their days chewing tobacco and drinking engine fuel; took her only a moment to figure that they'd probably had better aim spittin' into a bucket than they would with any gun. Still her teeth were clenched and she white-knuckled the reins as she broke through the last of the brush back into the harsh sandy desert.

And there she was; engine fired and ready for a quick exit, the Firefly sat with its bay doors open. Ellie could feel her chest catch with hope. Another shot rang out, though the direction had changed, this time coming from the forward position. She took a quick glance over her shoulder at her pursuers just in time to see a man fall from his horse and get lost amongst the hooves.

Three more shots followed and no-doubt knocking their ranks down by the same count. Hooves met metal as Ellie hauled onto the docking ramp. Making a circle motion above her head told her crew to wrap it up – they were leaving.

Tray's stood ready, his hand slammed the control panel which heaved into motion the large bay doors. Jayne sat crouched behind storage contains, bipod of his sniper resting flush with the boxes. Before Ellie could shout for him to stop he squeezed off another round. Inside the hull the sound ricocheted off the walls. Ellie pulled the reins to slow her horse but the amplified sound spooked the creature causing it to rear instead, throwing Ellie to the floor.

Winded on her back Ellie could hear Jayne growl into the intercom, "She's on Tessa, take us out." Tray darted forward grabbing the reins of the frantic animal preventing it from trampling its dazed rider. Pings of bullets bouncing off Serenity's exterior faded as the engines roared into action. Ellie felt the pull of the ascent as the Firefly pushed off from the planet's surface.

Catching her breath with a groan she rolled to her side. Jayne offered her a hand, "I don't know why they keep shootin'. Ain't no round of theirs is gunna pierce six inches of metal."

Recovering with a smirk she accepted, "Leaves a mighty ugly scratch though."

"Adding all the more to the character of this old girl," Tray said, grinning. He had finished tying off the horse and was now patting its neck. His smile widened when his eyes fell on the credits splayed across bay deck. The bag must have fallen out of Ellie's pocket when she was unseated. Gripping her side Ellie watched Tray collect and count their bounty. His count slowed as he reached for the last few coins, confused he emptied the remainder of the bag into his palm, a revealing mere two more pieces. "Uh, El, there seems to be a mistake," Tray noted.

Ellie bent and patted the dust from her knees, "Nope. No mistake. Just the necessary deductions for the cost of stupidity," she grabbed the bag and credits from Tray, "I sent to you to scout it out. How many is 'a couple' exactly? 'cause my understandin' of 'a couple' is approximately two."

Tray stuttered, "Well, I said about a couple. There's room there for interpretation." Tray's eyes darted from Ellie's scowling face to Jayne who growled dangerously. Just as Ellie was about to ask for a better explanation Tessa's voice chirped over the intercom, "We just broke atmo, Capt'n. Where are we headed?"

Ellie's look alone confirmed that the discussion would resume later. She quickly turned and made her way to the bridge discovering that her ribs weren't the only source of bruises and bumps. Every step shot pain down her right leg. Ellie corrected her stride, forcing herself not to favour the injured leg. The pain in her hip transformed into a steady burn just as she reached the bridge. Tessa sat at the controls gracefully guiding the Firefly into orbit.

"Plot of a course for Three Hills, I need to talk to Chip." Ellie came to a stop next to Tessa and folded her arms.

"Aye-aye Captain!" said Tessa, her hands jumping into action, thoughts catching up a moment later, "Whoa – hey – wait! Didn't you say we had a bit of a break after – ". Tessa turned to see Ellie's back heading for the door.

"Just do what I said, Tessa," said Ellie. She disappeared down the steps leaving Tessa no time to respond.

* * *

Ellie ruffled a towel through her wet hair then tossed it onto her cot. Her soft curls fell down past her shoulder leaving damp speckles on her fresh white undershirt. She grabbed her pendant from her desk and returned it to its place around her necklace. She paused, affectionately rolling the old Chinese coin between her fingers – her mind tossing thoughts about in a similar fashion.

She dropped the coin into her palm and clenched it in her fist. She bit her bottom lip in frustration. She had the full payment in her hands, had she just walked away - the deal was done, there was nothing holding her there.

 _"I… I don't know how to set the charges," the man's eyes looked desperate, "please, we just need to blast this shale and then we can drill deeper for a new well. It'll only take a moment longer. If you need payment," the man pulled out a pocket watch and offered it to her._

 _"Keep it," Ellie strolled past him, "you want the charges where?"_

How was she supposed to know about that town's history; the severity of its thugs and their qualms? She worried about the livelihood of that town when she should've been worrying about the bellies of her own crew. The mistake had cost her.

 _The charges had blown and shale showered Ellie and her client. The billowing dust gave them cover from the unwanted visitors. She could hear the men standing atop the ridge scramble to recollect. The bag of credits lay strewn in the dirt a few feet away, out of Ellie's reach. She scrambled for it. Just as her fingers gripped the drawstring of the satchel shots began to ring out, fired blindly. Her reflexes jolted and she pulled the bag toward her and darted for cover, leaving the remainder of the coins lost to the sand._

She released her final thoughts with a sigh and let the coin fall to her chest. Grabbing a shirt from her wardrobe she tossed it on, roughly buttoning it, leaving the top three open. Ellie took a peek in the mirror before leaving, adjusting her posture and straightening her shoulders. With a quick nod at her reflection she made her way to the latter. It was time to find Tray.

* * *

Ellie tracked Tray to the cargo bay. He was grumbling to himself and fruitlessly battling the dust on the floor with a broom.

"You be doing this on your own volition? Or are you expected some kind of compensation for your efforts?" Ellie leaned casually against the storage units.

"Jayne already gave me a jaw-full, El, and then well," Tray paused waving his arms wide to emphasize the vastness of his assigned punishment, "what do you got?"

"Just one question - who taught you how to count?" Ellie scoffed.

"You did, 'member," said Tray. Their eyes caught for a moment, Ellie smiled fondly. Tray broke the gaze and nervously looked away. He shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. Ellie knew this mannerism well. She had seen it countless times growing up. Here it comes. Tray met her gaze again,  
"listen El, I can do the math. We need doe. I think I can help. I know a guy who's got a job."

Ellie shook her head, "Tray, I don't think so. We've been down this road before. It doesn't end well."

"Wait, wait. Here me out, El," Tray begged, "look my guy's been sittin' on this job a while. It's a good job. He's just waiting for the right crew. We're the right crew, El."

"Where is it?"

"Near by…" Tray hesitated, "Ares – but the payout is really great."

Ellie burst out laughing, "Ares? Are you nuts? Tian fan di fu. No. That's suicide, Tray. That's Alliance home-field."

"It's just some gear. They wouldn't even notice us. I looked at the contacts – there's an old port we can land at and the guards will be taken care of - ."

"Forget it, Tray. It's not worth it." Ellie had enough. Tray knew he had lost and went back to sweeping. His movements were rough and sporadic, kicking up dust in all directions. Ellie couldn't resist. She set a hand on Tray's shoulder, took the broom from his hands, and began to sweep softly, "see, you want to do even control strokes. You don't want stir it up too much and you wanna avoid pushing down the grates – Garrick will have your head if he's gotta crawl through this fine dust doing maintenance down there."

She stopped and held the broom out for Tray. Tray stared with a look she didn't recognized. Before she could place it, it had gone in a flash.

"Thanks," said Tray. He accepted the broom and continued on, mimicking Ellie's guidance.

* * *

"Ah, Captain Reynolds, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Chip's dark complexion beamed from Ellie's monitor, "I didn't think I'd be seeing you for a while."

"I need another job. What have you got?" Ellie's tone did not meet Chips cheery greeting. She wanted some good news and quick.

"Job? Oooh, my dear, I told you before you left to make those credits last. Things are becoming quiet in our line of work," Chip frowned, "the Alliance hives have been buzzing and us small folk don't know who they're going to blame for the stick that stirred the nest."

"What stick? Who threw a stick?" said Ellie.

"That's just it, my girl, there be no one to point at – best we keep our heads down."

"Great. No work. No money. No…. Ai yah tien ah," Ellie rubbed her forehead, "except for a one stupid idea that flies us right into the swarm."

"What have you got cookin' up there in that curly top of yours?" poked Chip.

"Not me – Tray. He says he's got a job on Ares."

Chip reaction matched Ellie's initial feelings on the topic. He image disappeared from the screen for he was doubled over, his laughter echoing through her speakers. Ellie expected this; it was a crazy idea, Ares was the Shipyard for Alliance Military. Even with all the buzz, of which the chaos may play in Ellie's favour, it was like flying into the mouth of the lion.

Chip finally recovered, "why don't you sit tight, my girl. In a few weeks I'm sure I'll have something for you."

"A few weeks?! Come on Chip," Ellie leaned closer to the mic and whispered, "I don't even have enough fuel to get me to the next system."

"Have faith, Captain," Chip folded his hands in front of him and bowed, "I will contact you as soon as I can."

"Yeah, yeah. Wait - Chip! Do you know anyone who wants to buy a horse?"

* * *

Ellie found herself in the mess rummaging through the cupboards. They were achingly bare. She scooped up a can of bean paste and rice cakes, slapping together a pathetic one-sided sandwich. She carried her meal to the lounge area where Cee sat engrossed in another novel. His bald head glared in the light and he unconsciously mopped it with a handkerchief.

"Something troubling you, Captain?" Cee rumbled without looking up from his book. He lounged comfortably, his large body encompassing most of the couch. Ellie sat in the arm chair next to him and crunched down on her sad excuse for a snack. The bean paste stuck to the roof of her mouth and the cracker was dry.

"Now don't be getting cracker crumbs all over the floor. We'll be needin' to save those for later." Cee's eyes were now on Ellie. She knew he meant it lightly, but the comment did not help Ellie's mood. She crammed more rice cake into her mouth.

"Our options are limited Cee, and I don't like none of them," said Ellie, swallowing the last few bites.

"'Any of them' Miss Reynolds," Cee sighed, "I warned you, when you bought her, of the decisions this life was going to force you to make. You're father had to make them all the same. He did well and so will you."

Ellie frowned and wiped clean her plate with her finger, scraping up the last bits of bean paste and crumbs. She licked her finger then stood facing Cee, "easier said than done. Make something good for supper tonight. GO SHI – "

Ellie had turned to go but something – no, someone was standing directly behind her making her heart leap. The wiry frame and mouse coloured hair came into focus and Ellie gripped her pounding chest, "Jien ta duh guay…"

Garrick, her mechanic, stood quietly waiting for her to recover. Ellie could see him holding a part in his hands; a part that looked like it had been welded then re-welded several times over. His young face held concern. Ellie sighed, "let me guess, without this part we're all going to die."

Garrick nodded, "more-or-less."

Ellie stepped around Garrick and made her way to the bridge. She reached Tessa at the controls _("*snort* - I wasn't sleeping!")_ and flicked on the intercom. "Tray, get up here – we need to talk shop."

* * *

Tray was late.

"I don't like this. I don't like this one bit," Jayne grumbled, striding from one end of the cargo bay to the other. He arms crossed and uncrossed, his hands lost without the comfort of a weapon. His discontent was contagious, Ellie found herself feeling itchy just watching him. She cursed herself for letting Tray go off ship by himself. It was the only way they could get the goods and Tray knew the contact – but still.

Their cargo bay sat wide open to a port of Purple Bellies; this was Ares and everywhere they looked Alliance bustled passed. Ellie was reminded of a wolf in a sheep skin – except she was sure, in this case, that they were of the opposite scenario in which the sheep was wearing the disguise hiding among a most ravenous pack. As long as they don't get noticed; Ellie eyed two armed soldiers who stopped outside their ship.

"What the hell is this piece of junk?"

Ellie wasn't the only one who heard the comment. Jayne's looked turned venomous. His nostrils flared sharing the likeness of bull ready to charge.

"Jayne," Ellie placed a hand on each of his shoulders and directed him away from the open door, "you're scaring, well, everyone." She dropped her voice, "I need you sharp – get a grip." Jayne let out a resentful but confirming grunt.

Tray's contact had been sound. They had met on Three Hills and confirmed all the arrangements for the pick-up. The job was simple – two palates of gear consisting rations, water tablets, and basic life necessities needed to survive in a fresh colony on a rim planet. Ellie even negotiated a couple fuel cells into the deal. And Tray was right in that if they made this job they would be well off for quite some time. With that kind of cash in their pockets life would get easier; they could take more low key work from the rim until the heat died down around the border.

Still, he was late. Even with a couple of bought port guards, Ellie couldn't predict the length to which this sham would hold. Thankfully, the port was small and Serenity's landing went off without suspicion; loading and leaving could be a different story. She returned to her position at the mouth of the cargo bay, casually leaning against the frame. The two guards were still close by, chatting.

Ellie could feel their eyes fall on her. One nodded in her direction spurring the both of them to walk toward her. Their stride was unrushed like two wolves on the prowl for entertainment. Clearly they were not of the bribed variety and Ellie needed to strike out this problem quick.

"I'd like to speak to the Captain of this ship," ordered the taller one of the two. His squashed face wore a subtle smirk.

"Name's Captain Reyonlds. Pleasure to meet you, gentlemen," Ellie gave a nod to greet, "how can I help you?" Ellie was used to the reaction. The men looked at each other; their expression went from surprised to disbelief to, and in this case, disapproval. It was less common for a woman to be in her position and the closer she got to the core planets the less accepting the population became of her appellation. She repeated her statement bringing the men back to the conversation.

"Let me see your papers," said the squashed faced one. Ellie waved at Jayne and he disappeared up the stairs to retrieve the identification and manifest.

The soldiers continued to eye her. "Aren't you a little…. _young_ to be Captain?" the short-one sneered. He wasn't wrong. Not only was Ellie the rare female Captain, she was also in her early twenties. Thankfully, Jayne promptly returned with the papers and handed them off; saving Ellie from stumbling through an answer to a more-than-likely rhetorical question.

The squash-faced soldier's fingers scrolled down the screen, his comrade peaking around his shoulder.

"Says here you were due to leave port 3 hours ago," stated the soldier, "staying past the cut-off time is against port policy. And by the looks of it, you ain't even filled your order yet."

The back of Ellie's neck began to prickle, _now would be a great time for you to show-the-hell-up, Tray_. Her delayed response caused the shorter beady-eyed soldier to rest his hand on his holstered weapon. Explanation weren't coming to mind but Ellie needed to make some kind of noise, "Mhm, that's quite the observation; and a correct one at that. I can see why the Alliance is revered across the suns. It's the fine gentlemen like you who truly are the source of the reputation."

She didn't mean for it to sound _that_ sarcastic. The shorter one's fingers curled around the butt of his firearm and the taller-one frowned. "With all due respect ma'am," he spat, "I'd like to hear the reason for your delay."

"Right!" Ellie flashed a smile and laughed, "My apologies. Yes, we are waiting for… for - ." She teetered on the word and her mind froze; _shit, what was protocol again?_

"For their extension to go through," the voice came from a tall, sandy-haired man wearing a beige overcoat. His stride was directed toward Ellie as he came up the loading ramp, "I'm sorry I'm late, Captain Reynolds." He turned to face the two men.

"Matthew Denton," he flashed an I.D. and returned it quickly to the pocket of his coat. He stood next to Ellie. She noticed his fair complexion and that he was well groomed. The office jockey confirmed, "I'm from the traffic and transportation sector."

He took the pad from the soldiers and tapped the screen. Ellie watched the stranger's fingers dance entering codes and dashing through pages. He finished and handed the report back to men, "satisfied?"

The two grunts reviewed the page and passed the report back to the sandy-haired fellow. Ellie caught glimpse of a smile flit across the traffic officer's face and she hoped it was for her benefit. Suddenly becoming conscious of her own expression, her heart fluttered and she hoped the blatant confusion plastered on her face just played off as intense concern. Inside her mind was spinning; who the hell was this guy? Was he one of their client's men? She looked over at Jayne, finding him failing miserably at masking his dismay. His mouth hung opened and the intensity of his furrowed brow could crush a walnut.

The soldiers didn't linger after their defeat, both men turned and headed down the ramp. The smiling stranger offered Ellie back her papers. Nonplussed, Ellie accepted. The moment was cut short by the beeping sound of a reversed loader. Ellie spotted Tray in the forklift with a palate raised high. He directed the loader onto the ship's loading ramp and made the incline climb into the bay. She let out of a sigh of relief. Her new companion, however, had the opposite reaction. His mouth quickly dropped to a frown and he grabbed the file back from Ellie's hands. Flipping it open he mumbled, "oh no… no no…"

"Oh no – what?" Ellie inquired.

"It's the wrong order – like really wrong. Those are…." his eyes grew wide as the palate was lowered onto the bay's deck. Ellie didn't wait for him to finish. The soldiers, who were leaving, stopped in their tracks.

Ellie rushed to the crates and tore off the cargo webbing. She popped the lid on the first container. Her heart sunk; tucked in the trunk sat four top grade Alliance pistols and one rifle. She slammed it shut.

"What the hell is this," Ellie harshly hushed to Tray.

"We're almost done, El, just one more palate," Tray avoided her gaze and turned to head back out.

Ellie grabbed his arm, "We're leaving now, there is no time. This job is over, Tray."

One Alliance soldier was already on his radio and the other drew his firearm. His beady eyes squinted, "Raise your hands, you're under arrest for the violation of –"

The man didn't get a chance to finish his sentence as the butt of Jayne shotgun connected hard against the side of his helmet. The limp body fell to the floor and Jayne didn't waste a second; he rounded the muzzle onto the other soldier who was now reaching for his sidearm. Jayne was faster and the slug landed in the middle of the man's chest sending him toppling off the loading ramp. Jayne used his boot to roll the other soldier down the slope on to the ground.

Ellie could hear Serenity's engines start. Gunfire was generally the signal for 'it's time to go' and clearly, Tessa got the message. Tray who had been standing next to Ellie was gone and so was the loader. She knew it was only a matter of time before they had the rest of the Purple Bellies swarming the ship. Ellie drew her gun and ducked behind the crates. Jayne was ready at the haul opening, taking cover against the wall.

The traffic officer stood locked in place, fingers dancing on the manifest's screen. From her cover, Ellie yelled at him, "Hey friend, nice of you to help and all but I think it's best you get the hell out of here!"

The officer didn't budge. He didn't even look up from the screen. Ellie scoffed, "suite yourself."

Within the minute, Tray returned with the second palate and dropped it in the bay. The palate landed with a crash, causing a few crates to topple to the floor. From the controls Ellie heard Tessa's voice shout through the intercom, "Cap'n I gotta go right now – otherwise they're gunna lock us down."

If Tessa said more Ellie missed it. Her attention shifted to the arrival of a mini-rover carrying three alliance soldiers. Jayne opened fired and the soldiers ducked behind their vehicle.

Ellie seized her chance and leapt to her feet. Darting forward she tugged the officer's jacket toward the crates with enough force to pull him off balance sending him toppling to the floor. With her gained momentum she rounded the crates and jumped into the passenger side of the loader. Jayne's suppressive fire was met and the bullets fired back caused Ellie and Tray to both shrink behind the seats.

Ellie needed to get the loader off the loading ramp. In their current position they couldn't lift the ramp or close the airlock doors - meaning they wouldn't be able to break atmo on their escape. With the barrage of bullets they were stuck. Serenity's engines roared getting ready for take-off.

Then Ellie saw it. From the cover of the weapon crates lobbed a grenade. She watched it sail through the air and land at the wheels of the rover scattering the soldiers in all directions. She hunched back down behind the seat and shouldered the blast.

Debris showered the ship. Ellie, wasting no time, she shoved Tray out of the loader. She kicked the controls into reverse and threw herself out the passenger side. The loader rolled toward the back of the loading ramp just as Serenity began to lift off the ground. Ellie and Tray scrambled to their feet. The loader tipped awkwardly off the back end and rolled into the port with a crash. The sudden shift in weight made the Serenity lurch causing the landing gear to smash abruptly into the ground.

The jolt lost Ellie her balance and threw her onto the floor. Her hands stopped her face from connecting with the solid metal – but Tray wasn't so lucky. Ellie saw him rolled onto his back with both hands reaching for his bloody nose.

Pings and sparks of bullets erupted around them again. Ellie kept low and scrambled, in a prone position, toward a dazed Tray. Serenity's engines kicked into gear and the ship shifted forward. Though it was a good idea to get out of there as quick as possible, it was definitely a bad idea to be riding the ascent on the back end of a loading ramp.

The forward acceleration plus slope of the ramp caused both Tray and Ellie to roll down toward the edge. Ellie locked her fingers in the facets of the ramp and reached for Tray who slid past her. His hand stretched out for hers and she could feel it briefly hook her fingertips; but the grip was lost, the blood on Tray's fingers caused him to slip by, and Ellie watched her friend disappear over the edge.

Ten feet, now twenty feet, the port fell away. Ellie couldn't see Tray through the dust and chaos; even so, she knew it was too late to turn back now.

Reality smashed through Ellie's thoughts of Tray when a bullet connected with the metal next to her face. She rolled onto her belly and her free hand found another hold on the ramp. The wind was loud and every physical force seemed to be working against her - pulling to the same fate as Tray.

Her eyes burned against the rush of the air. Through a squint she saw it - a life line had landed in front of her; it was a broken crate strap. She grabbed hold of it with both hands and looked up to see the traffic officer at the strap's other end. They worked together to pull her aboard while Jayne at the bay's controls waiting to lift the ramp and close the airlock.

Ellie didn't give herself a moments rest. They weren't out of harm way yet. As if on autopilot her body directed her off the floor and toward the controls. Slamming the intercom button she buzzed Tessa, "You drop the jammer, Tess?"

The jammer was built to delay anti-air artillery and jam comm-waves. It was invented by Serenity's very own Garrick Lamb, engine specialist and part-time boy genius. Though, it was good for a tight bind, it wasn't really a long term solution. The orbit around Ares was often a busy place and if the news of the ruckus from below made it to an bulletin….

Tessa chirped back, "Jammer dropped Cap'n, all things read clear to break – wait what is tha– HOLD ON TO SOMETHING!"

A thunderous wave rolled through the ship. The whole body of Serenity shook, her lights flickered and blinked. Ellie stabilized herself against the control panel and waited for the shudder to pass.

* * *

Matthew Denton sat and huddled again the storage containers. The ship had finally stopped shaking from the thunderous blast and miraculously he was still alive. His fingers released from the webbed nylon and he opened his eyes. He hadn't even realized he had shut them. Matt raised his head to find the Captain of the ship leaning over him, offering a hand. He accepted and she hoisted him to his feet. His knees shook unsteadily.

"Once we're clear of Ares orbit we'll drop into deep space and lay low. I don't know what just hit us but whatever it was, it was big. I just hope it worked in our favour."

Wait, was she talking to him?

"We'll contact your men as soon as we can – I don't like having this payload one bit, it's too hot. Seeing as we'll be late for our drop off – you'll have some explaining to do. They'll take more kindly to hearing this misfortune from one of their own."

"…one of their own?" Matt mumbled. The Captain's eyebrow dropped, perturbed; clearly that wasn't the response she was expecting. Matt attempted to recover, "I… uh… well, you see"

"Aren't you one of Collins boys?" a voice growled over Matt's shoulder. The sudden presence of the man caused Matt to flinch.

"Collins? Not that I'm aware of…" Matt voice trailed off and the expressions of his audience darkened, "Look if you could just drop me off at the nearest planet I could – "

Stars flooded Matt's vision. His skull felt like it split in two and numbness splashed down his back. The floor came flying to meet his face. He rolled himself onto his back and above him two fuzzy faces floated. A grumbling voice reached his ears as the swirl of colour faded to black,

"You ain't going nowhere…"


	2. Chapter 2 - Out of the Frying Pan

Chapter 2 – Out of the Frying Pan…

 _Matthew Denton leaned back in his chair. It was old, creaking in protest at the sudden shift in weight. Matt sighed. His co-worker Rick sat with his back facing him, hunched over his desk shifting through papers and consulting his console's screen._

 _Their tiny office was like a time capsule. Stepping into it sent one back to a primitive age; the technology was outdated and hardcopies of files were stored in large metal cabinets. Matt eyed Rick's thinning hair that swirled into a bald spot and sigh again, louder this time._

 _Rick swiveled in his chair, "What Matthew? I'm trying to work."_

 _"Don't you ever wonder what we're doing here?"  
_

 _"Statistical Analysis and Regulation of Port Activities; our understanding of this data helps others make informed decisions to improve efficiencies of Port policy and lower illegal activities. Come on, Matthew, you know this. We do good work. You should be proud."_

 _"I don't see why they aren't getting some program to shift through all this…" Matt grabbed a handful of papers from his desk._

 _"It requires a human touch," Rick defended._

 _"They could at least give us humans a gorram window."_

 _Matt had tried his best to cover the walls of the closet they called their office. Large maps of each system clung to cover the barren space: Kalidasa, Red Sun, and Georgia. A colour coded set of pins dotted the planets, each plotting a trip around the known Verse of which was planned in the hours of Matt's daydreams._

 _ *****_ _BLING* Matt perked up to the special alert from his console. It was a new message that was sorted separately from the regular daily data reports. The sender was always anonymous and the message contained a status update regading one particular crew. Matt didn't know why he was sent this report. It didn't really suite his position. He had asked his supervisor about it and received little clarification. The job was simple; receive the report, make a hard copy, send hardcopy to assigned location._

 _Though the report was to remain 'confidential' Matt couldn't help be read each one; the first of which reported the crew robbing a bank, but then saving it from it being robbed when more criminals arrived. And that was just the start; this pattern remained the same throughout Matt's 11 month stint as a Traffic Analyst._

 _Matt gathered up the pages as they were printed and sat back in his chair. He could already feel the smile on his face. He had found himself growing fond of the crew's adventures; often criminal adventures but adventures nonetheless._

 _The report was succinct. It listed client names, locations, goods, and summary of the mission but Matt could read between the lines, his imagination filling in the gaps; a mission gone wrong, horses racing through the desert, a gun fight with a quick escape… Matt couldn't help but chuckle as his eyes travelled down the report. As he reached the bottom his chuckled turned into an all-out laugh, "Rick – RICK! Listen to this, 'Planned landing at Ares Port CV7 for pickup of goods.' They're landing here! They're landing at our Port!"_

 _"Matt, you know that's confidential. You shouldn't even be reading it and I most definitely shouldn't be listening. Just send it out like you're supposed to," Rick whined._

 _"Come Rick, it can't be that important if they are sending it to us," Matt argued._

 _Rick stuck his fingers in his ears, "I'm not listening!"_

 _Matt rolled his eyes and looked back at the report. Firefly-class Serenity was landing in his port tomorrow. He reached for an envelope but paused. The report stated that the goods to be picked were registered but knowing the crew's track record it wasn't always that straightforward. Maybe the chain of command could do without this one update?_

 _He sighed knowing it wasn't that simple. This crew was criminal, albeit good people as far as the reports showed but still someone here was watching and waiting for something. Duty won and Matt tucked the report into a folder and addressed it to the proper destination then tossed it in his outbox._

 _He grabbed his jar of multi-coloured pins and dug about the container. Red was running low. No surprise when more than 20 were dotted across the maps on the wall, each marking a planet which Serenity had visited. Plucking what seemed like the last red pin from the pile Matt stood in front of the map of the Georgia System. He reached up and pushed the tack into the moon next to Boros labelled Ares._

* * *

The sharp zip of the plastic tie brought Ellie's thoughts back to the room. The limp head of the transport officer jostled as Jayne secured the man to the chair. Blood crusted in his hair making it stick up at odd angles; it almost made Ellie feel sorry for him. He would be waking with one hell of a headache.

"Get me when he's up," said Ellie and without waiting for a response she exited, sliding the door closed behind her. Ellie stood for a moment outside the passenger cabin and closed her eyes. Hoping to find solace in the darkness of her lids she only found visions Tray's frantic face flashing right before he disappeared over the edge. Ellie's eyes snapped open and she shook her head free of the memory.

On the bridge she found Tessa huddle over the screens of the main console. Ellie knocked on the metal frame of the door as she entered, "got anything for me?"

Tessa turned from her controls, "I think it's clear sailing. I've dropped out of orbit and we're off the beaten track. I don't know what that blast was but it sure played in our favour – nearly took us out of the sky – but this old girl managed." Tessa patted the ship's control affectionately.

"Good to hear," Ellie turn to the intercom and buzzed the engine room, "Garrick, how's it looking back there?"

"No apparent damage Captain. I'm running deeper diagnostics now. I will update you when it is complete," Garrick replied.

Ellie nodded and turn to go but Tessa's voice stopped her, it was soft this time, "Cap'n, I'm sorry about Tray. I didn't know he fell. If I had just - "

Ellie waved her hand to tell Tessa to stop, "No. Don't be doing that, Tessa. This isn't on you. We were in a hot spot and sometimes things don't go as planned."

Tessa didn't look convinced. Ellie continued, "Just give me time and I'll do some figuring."

She wanted to say ' _Don't worry - we'll get Tray back';_ but she knew full-well that hollow words were worse than none at all. Ellie turned to go, "I'll be in my cabin. Keep on course. You know the drill."

* * *

 _Matt's pen danced against the desk. He was up for most of the night, his thoughts were restless. He had come to the conclusion that if he left work early, today, he could make it to the port to catch a quick glance at the fabled crew. He would just go to see – nothing more. He couldn't risk his name popping up on one of the 'confidential' reports. If he played it right it was a victimless crime. No harm, no foul. His head bobbed to the tapping of the pen, the tempo keeping speed with his racing thoughts._

 _"WOULD YOU STOP THAT INCESSANT NOISE?!"_

 _Rick finally broke. Matt had only seen him in this state a handful of times since they started working together. By the pulsing of the vein above Rick's twitching eyebrow, Matt figured he had better get an early start to his plan._

 _"I'm sorry Rick, I didn't even realize," Matt set his pen down, "I'm just not feeling like myself today. I think I'm coming down with something. Would you mind if I took off a bit early?"_

 _Rick didn't argue, if anything he looked pleased. Matt gathered his things and slipped out of the office. With his coat in hand Matt headed for the elevator and waited, trying to keep the fluttering excitement he felt to a minimum._

 _Without looking Matt stepped forward at the ding of the elevator doors. With a grunt and stumble backward Matt briefly looked up to find that he had collided with two men in suits. He put his head back down, apologized quickly and darted past them onto the elevator._

 _He stared at their backs waiting for the doors to close. The men stood uncomfortably still. Then robotically they straightened their suits; their blue-gloved hands worked in an eerily synchronized manner. An icy shiver ran down Matt's back which made him lean forward and stab at the 'door close' button no less than six times._

 _Matt reached the lobby and headed for the exit. He came to a halt when a soft voice from the main desk called out to him. It was Stacey. She was one of the receptions of whom he became quite familiar since he started working there. Her pretty face was framed with wavy blond hair and soft eyes._

 _"Matt!" she called again, "there were two men asking about you just a moment ago. I sent them up to your office."_

 _Matt looked at his watch then back at Stacey, "I'm sort of on my way out. To an appointment. I'm not supposed to be leaving this early, but it's really important. To save us both the trouble – when they come back down could you just act like you hadn't seen me? That way I don't have to explain myself later."_

 _Matt smiled warmly, trying to boost his odds. His heart leapt when Stacey returned it, "okay, but just this one time. You owe me."_

 _"Thank you. Thank you – you're a life saver."_

* * *

Ellie's knees crumpled and she felt back onto her cot. Her face rested in her hands. What _was_ she going to do about Tray? She clenched her teeth in frustration. She and Tray had been tempting fate since they were young. As a kid from the neighbouring ranch, he and Ellie became fast friends. They were inseparable. Tray had always found trouble and Ellie was always there to rescue him. She had never minded - she even welcomed the challenge.

But this time – this time she couldn't see a way around it. There was no last minute rescue, no quick escape. The window of opportunity had closed – she had left Tray behind.

* * *

 _Matt showed his I.D. at the entrance to the port. His position as Traffic Analyst rarely called for field work. He had only been to this port once before. It was not a major hub on the planet of Ares; it was considered small and just like his work, rather dated._

 _The port spanned in an array of catwalks that weaved through several wharfs. Matt hurried to the posted port schedule. Transit was slow and he was worried that he may have missed his opportunity completely. He pulled out a small piece of paper from his pocket which held Serenity's current identification. The report had contained its alias: Firefly class - Cadence 6._

 _Sect-C, Dock 12 – she was still here! Relieved and with a hurried step Matt headed in that direction._

 _Dodging cargo trucks stocked high with goods Matt navigated his way through the bustling port. It was busy and full of all kinds of trade. Ares Port CV7 was more commonly called The Hovel. And rightly so, as far as Ares port standards went this one fell well below them. Though highly regulated, the port was the only one on the planet that allowed outsider or 'non-corporate' trade. The metal walkways led down to an earth floor that kicked up dirt and sand when ships came and went filling the air with a murky haze._

 _Matt took a sharp right turn and headed down the ramp on to the sandy floor of Section C. Ships docked on either side of the of the open wharf creating an alley down the center. People milled about, off-loading ships by hand or by machine filling carts and rovers._

 _It didn't take him long to spot her. Serenity sat six ships in, her distinctive bow hung over the alley. Matt instinctively looked over his shoulder almost expecting that someone had suspected that he shouldn't be there; but the port bustled on, giving no-nevermind to him whatsoever._

 _Noticing his anonymity Matt moved forward with confidence. He was going to get a closer look._

* * *

"Go get the Cap'n, he's wakin' up."

The voice was muffled through the thunderous pounding that filled Matt's ears. He strained to look up but failed. He head rolled against his chest and his eyelids felt like lead. He fought to open them for what seemed like hours. Eventually, the thundering subsided and he could hear the door to the room slide open and closed followed by heavy boot falls.

His vision was fuzzy, but as it began to clear he could see two figures across the room. The tall man, who Matt guessed was the Captain's first mate, stood leaning against the bunk. Matt remembered him from the reports; his name was Jayne Cobb. Matt had become familiar with Jayne's already terrifying presence and seeing him now only confirmed that he was not man to cross. He was fit for being well into his fifties and if Matt didn't already know his age he wouldn't be able to guess it. The only hint would be the flecks of grey that peppered through parts of Jayne Cobb's beard.

Next to Jayne stood the Captain, her back was turned and Matt's eyes trailed down from her brown curls to the kakis tucked into her riding boots. The room was small and considering it was a transport ship Matt figured they were holding him in one of the guest bunks. She turned to face him.

"Officer Denton was it?" her voice was calm and he could see that she was reading it from his I.D. card – the one from his coat pocket, "What do you know of a fella named Collins?"

Matt shifted in his seat. His shoulders ached from the pull of his hands which were tied securely behind his back. Was this an interrogation?

"Never heard of him."

"Well, if you're not working for Collins, then who is it you work for?

This was an interrogation. And to his interrogators anything that Matt was about to say was going to sound crazy. _Oh yes, Captain Reynolds I work for the Alliance who has been monitoring your activities for the last few months – and judging by the reports, it's most likely without your consent. I just wanted to swing by, entirely on my own volition, and say 'hi'?_

Matt sighed, "The Alliance Port Regulation and Transportation Offices."

"And that's a faction of the Alliance military?" The Captain's face and tone remained neutral. Matt thought that he would feel more afraid then he did, but for some strange reason he felt quite the opposite, borderline safe. In the last eleven months Ellie Reynolds had never been reported killing a man who, well, wasn't trying to kill her first. He looked at Jayne and knew that he didn't act without strict instruction from his Captain. Matt suddenly realized his advantage – these weren't strangers at all.

"No, not exactly, the work has been outsourced to the Blue Sun Cooperation," said Matt, then added, "but I did serve in the Alliance Military."

"You apply fresh out of U.A.C.E.P.?"

The Union Allied Core Educational Program is what she was referring to and Matt, being from the inner planets, had been part of that public school system.

"Yeah. Two years standard military training followed by a tour on Deep Space Station Magellan-02 on the border. I did maintenance and then local surveillance. I bid out when I was 25 for a job in a minimal security prison on Boros. I served two years as guard and then was promoted to a position in an off-world prison facility on the outskirts of Red Sun. Spent a short term there and then was shipped off Ares to my current…."

He trailed off. _Was it his current position anymore?_

"Then what the hell is a purple belly like you jumping ship with us?" Jayne asked the most obvious question and the one that Matt was most dreading.

Matt's heart began to pump faster and his eyes dropped back to the floor. How was he suppose explain…

Matt felt the Captain spot his hesitation. She stepped closer, her voice softened, "I don't doubt you've been spelling things straight for me, Officer Denton. But it seems to me like is this a curious situation. Nearly 9 years of service with the Alliance and you're risking your neck to save the likes of us. No point explaining what you did, I was there and I saw. The real question is why?"

* * *

 _There she was. Matt leaned up against a large metal shipping crate. He fell just in the shadow of Serenity's bow and from his position he could see inside the ship's cargo bay. He tried his best to hide his smile and keep casual; but it was a struggle. All those reports, all the stories, they were real. Not that Matt ever doubted the validity of his job, but sometimes he found it hard to believe that life could be so different from the one he knew._

 _Then he saw her; it had to be - Captain Ellie Reynolds. She came to the edge of the ship and stopped at the top of loading dock, leaning calmly against the mouth of the cargo bay. She didn't look hardened or jaded as he had imagined. She was young and in the ship's light she looked almost soft; but not fragile, her stance held a strength and confidence that could not be doubted._

 _He knew he was smiling now, shaking his head in disbelief. How many nights had he thought of living just like them? He looked at Serenity and tried to imagine himself on it – though his daydream was cut short when he heard them – two Alliance soldiers had paused to chat in front of the ship._

" _I don't understand why they even let crap like this fly nowadays. Tian Di Wu Yowng. Even the crew is pathetic."_

 _Matt saw the soldier nod toward Ellie._

" _As I said, piece of junk - someone should just put it out of its misery already."_

 _Suddenly a rough force from behind thrusted Matt forward; he stumbled to catch his step and rounded to see the back of a hunched man hurrying away into the crowd. Matt turned his attention back to the soldiers but they were gone – no, they were moving up the ramp toward Ellie. He didn't hesitate, quickly Matt followed, carefully moving within earshot._

 _Then he remembered – the schedule! He was late getting here and Serenity was late to leave! The guards would notice and the crew would be…_

" _With all due respect ma'am – I would like to hear the reason for your delay."_

 _Matt found his feet moving before he could understand where they were going. If he could just get his hands on that manifest, a simple authorization would be all it took._

 _He heard Ellie's voice, "yes, we are waiting for… for.."_

 _Within seconds he was up the ramp, hand extended in front of him reaching for the manifest and the words, "for their extension to go through" tumbling out of his mouth._

* * *

Matt looked between Ellie and Jayne. There was no way he could admit that he had been following their activities through status reports – given by unknown persons nonetheless. Regardless of his actual job there would be no way to convince them that he did not carry the questionable intentions of his employer.

"I don't like bullies," Matt stated. Ellie and Jayne stare at him blankly. He elaborated, "I overheard the soldiers talking; they were just there to start trouble – trouble which I thought honest folk didn't deserve. I now see I was a bit too quick to judge. "

"Well, hell, looks like we got ourselves a do-gooder," Jayne grumbled, "great."

Ellie didn't look convince – far from it actually, "I'm flattered to be the subject of your nobility. Mighty fine of you to be so concerned."

Matt waited for the 'but'

"As much as I'd like to believe that you intentions were just, something isn't quite adding up," Ellie continued, "You seem like you've got a reasonable head on your shoulders – would you mind explaining why you threw that pineapple?"

The grenade; she was talking about the grenade. His head dropped. He remembered being behind those palates, the bullets flying, and without thinking he popped open the nearest case and grab the bomb. Even now he struggled to understand why he did what he did. His hands seemed to act on their own - Matt looked up to see the Captain and Jayne waiting.

He could feel the plastic cutting into his wrists. He thought of the office and Rick, of his military service; that was all in the past now – how could he ever go back? _Forget it, what else have I got to lose?_

"I've lived near ports, spent time on deep space stations. But, a life in the Alliance Military, or any job in the Core is like hopping from one cage to another. Locked in your position, day after day doing the same thing," Matt explained, the words falling unbridled from his mouth, "You end up spending your life working for something or someone you won't ever see. But you – you don't work like that. You live for you and by your own terms. Yeah, so I stuck up for the little guy; I know it's not what I am supposed to do but hey, I guess that's just me. It's always been me…"

That last sentence he said more to himself than the rest of the room. He faced Ellie and Jayne, "So what now?"

"This kid stupid or somethin'?" Jayne grunted.

Matt looked at Ellie. She was staring intently, right at him. He met her gaze and wondered what she was seeing. Her face held the intensity of someone in deep thought, but only for a moment. Abruptly the looked ended and with finality Ellie brought her hands together with a clap, "Okay. I appreciate your cooperation, Officer Denton. Or should I say Matt?"

Matt nodded.

"Good," Ellie turned to Jayne, "We'll be landing on Shadow for the exchange. We'd better get ready."

"What do you want me to do with the kid?"

Matt saw the Captain look back at him, "We'll deal with him after the drop."

Ellie left the room. Matt watch Jayne round of him and raise the butt of his gun, " 'night. 'night."

Ellie appeared back in the door way, "Oh and Jayne, don't hit him in the face! I don't want to have to wait another half-day's time for him come around again."

Matt watched her disappear again. Jayne, dejected, lowered his gun slightly, "Well, I won't hit him that hard."

"No." Her voice called from the hallway

"Just a light tap?" Jayne called back.

"Jayne…" Though she couldn't be seen, by the tone of her voice Matt knew that Jayne was had lost the battle.

Jayne let the gun fall to his side and made for the door. With a brief look over his shoulder back toward Matt paired with a frustrated grunt Jayne left the room.

* * *

The charred earth crunched beneath her feet. Ellie had never been to Shadow before. She could remember the stories told by her father. It was the place that taught him all there was to know about ranching and more. The wind ripped around her legs as she stood waiting at the foot of the loading dock. Seeing the scorched valleys of the once beautiful planet gave her a bad taste in her mouth; 35 years after the war and still nothing grew.

Ellie's eyes were following a fast moving cloud of dust, growing larger by the minute; it was a total of three vehicles that drove toward her. A mixture of tension and relief stirred in her stomach. She would be glad to see the end of this particular arrangement.

The trucks came to a stop 20 feet from Serenity and unloaded 8 uniformed men, 7 of them armed. Ellie's teeth grit – she never liked meetings such as these; especially when the other side had more guns than her own. The 8th and unarmed man was aged with grey hair and a lined face. His heavy jaw gave him a stern look and as he moved toward Ellie, his stride told her that he was long lived in the line of duty.

"Been a long time since I'd seen a ship like this," the man's eyes were on Serenity. He stop short of Ellie and continued to admire the ship. His attention turned from the ship to Ellie. To Ellie's surprise, he seemed taken aback by the sight of her.

Ellie reached out her hand for him to shake, "Captain Ellie Reynolds."

The look of shock vanished immediately and was replaced with a knowing smile, "And so it is – name's Jebidiah Canaday, but you can call me Jeb."

They shook.

"Well Jeb," Ellie lead him onto her ship and directed them toward the payload, "Two flats of Alliance gear as order. I apologize for our lateness. Unforseen circumstances arose and caused a bit of a delay…"

Jeb had stepped up beside Ellie when they reached the crates. Her eyes caught a mark on his uniform and her voice faded in conversation; her mind momentarily distracted by the familiarity of the insignia he wore on his shoulder. It was the Chinese symbol for 'man' placed within a broken circle. Where had she seen it before? Was it on Three Hills? She struggle to remember if their contact, Collins, had bore the symbol.

"You needn't explain – we've already been briefed on the situation," said Jeb. He signalled to his men. They went to work immediately, hoisting the totes from Serenity's cargo bay and loading them into the trucks. Jeb kept his eyes on Ellie – still smiling, "How remarkable. It's nearly identical. What was it again - The Serenity?"

He paused, "…You look just like him, you know?"

Ellie had been beginning to wonder if that was the case, "You know my father?"

"He was a great man, Malcolm," Jeb praised, "one of the best."

"That's what they all say."

Jeb chuckled thoughtfully. His eyes took on a distant look and his voice turned somber, "well, he was. I recruited him for the mission on Beaumonde, you know."

Beaumonde… then Ellie remembered. The symbol! It was there, the day her father volunteered for the mission from which he never returned. She remembered her 11 year-old self heatedly arguing with him to stay and a man she didn't know interrupting her – telling her it was for a better good. He had the same symbol printed on his sleeve.

Jeb had still been talking, "….without him we wouldn't have been able to save as many as we did that day. He truly aided in the developments of our efforts. Though it was just a battle – it gave us the leg up we needed in the fight against them. And now - " he turned to Ellie, resting a hand on her shoulder, "I see you've decided to followed in his footsteps."

Ellie was speechless. Her heart throbbed in her throat and her mouth went dry. Jeb's men continued to bustle past, the gun crates were nearly finished being loaded on the trucks. They were the _Rénquán,_ an underground activist group notoriously known for their guerilla attacks on the Blue Sun Corp. If she had known she'd have starved before taking the mission. She had to wonder – had Tray known who they were dealing with? Ellie's fist clenched, _how could she be so gorram careless_?

"You have no idea the difference this will make," said Jeb, thankfully.

"Nearly identical…" Ellie whispered aloud. Almost unconsciously she took a step back letting Jeb's hand fall from its place on her shoulder.

"What's that Ellie?"

"You said it was 'nearly identical'. It's the same ship – this _is_ Serenity," said Ellie. She watched the confusion flood Jeb's face. She pushed forward, "it's the identical ship to the one my father flew; this is her."

"No…"

"Hard to believe, isn't it? But how would you know she survived? Especially when you and your men high tailed it off Beaumonde, early - leaving others to finish that ho-tze-duh-pi-guof a fight."

Jeb shook his head, "how would you – ? Malcolm, is he - ? "

He stopped and looked around wildly. Ellie let him panic, she wasn't about to tell him that when she found the ship, years after the Beaumonde incident, her father was long gone; this was far more satisfying. His frantic eyes finally came to rest on Jayne who had just entered from the Infirmary.

"Jayne?"

"Canaday," Jayne responded, his lips barely moved and Ellie was sure his teeth remained clenched. Jayne reached up for a grasp on the catwalk above. Judging by the look on his face, Ellie figured it was to keep him tethered far enough away from Jeb so that his might not accidental kill the man.

"Isn't this some honky-dory reunion? Well, I've 'bout had my fill of family fun," said Ellie, her fury barely kept at bay, "Where's Collins? I think I'll take my payment and leave."

Jeb tore his eyes from Jayne to look back at her. His face nervous was now. Even through all the age, experience, and military prowess Ellie watched his lip quiver, "He's dead. Must've been shortly after he met with you."

"Go neong yung duh _"_ Ellie cursed, "let me guess – and that was your explosion back on Ares that nearly knocked us out of the air, wasn't it? Was it getting too hot so you thought you'd just leave us to the wolves? Keeping your identity a secret and letting us poor souls do the dirty work. Sure we'll take the fall for you. Anytime – _friend._ "

"Explosion? No – it wasn't an -," Jeb started but stopped, the words caught in his throat. Ellie watched him realize that the walls of the hole he was digging were quickly growing up around him. The fear she saw flicker in his eyes was soon replaced with a fiery denial.

"We do what we must! You ignorant girl. What a waste! Your father would have never… – you are nothing like - "

It took all she could to keep her fist from connecting with Jeb's face. The struggle must've been apparent because Jeb dropped his rant into incoherent mumbling. Ellie saw the last crate be loaded onto the trucks and held out her hand for her payment. Jeb obliged. The case was small but loaded heavy with credits.

"Best be on your way old man," said Ellie, "Maybe I am like my father, maybe I'm not; but one thing for sure is I ain't much about being left for dead on account of someone else's stupidity. So if you could – you mind avoiding the temptation of requesting our services in the future?"

"I'm sorry to leave you in such a way, Ellie," said Jeb, his voice shook slightly in attempts to recover from his outburst.

"That'd be Captain Reynolds to you," Ellie corrected, "and I'm not."

Jeb left. Ellie didn't wait to watch them go. The fury inside her chest burned. She knew that her frustration and anger wasn't only reserved for Jeb – but for herself as well. She turned to signal to Jayne to raise the dock. Fifteen minutes would be all it took until Serenity broke atmo – the first step in leaving this dustbowl behind.

* * *

Matt felt the rumble of the engines die down and the ship's artificial gravity cut in. From the windowless cabin Matt had no sense of time. He was unable to tell how long they had spent grounded on Shadow. He sighed – he wished he could've seen it. Books he read had described Shadow as a blackened wasteland, a devastating by-product of the Unification War. The stories told of the planet remaining uninhabitable to this day.

The mysteries of the Verse would have to wait. The plastic held fast and Matt readjusted in his chair. The fierce ache in his shoulders throbbed constantly now. He shifted again, hoping to relieve the pain. Worse. Matt continued to squirm; his restlessness nearly masked the sound of footsteps outside his cabin door.

The screen slide open and Ellie entered. Matt didn't know her well, but any stranger could tell that her mood was not to be tested. She paused to draw a knife from her belt. In two quick strides she was in front of Matt, blade in hand. His heart ceased to pump.

She lean forward and cut the ties holding Matt's wrist. He exhaled audibly, hoping that the force of the compression could kick start his jolted heart. Ellie was back across the room, comfortably seated on the bunk with her legs dangling off the edge. Her hand tapped the edge of the bed, anxiously. Matt watched her eyes – they were distant and filled with racing thought.

"Here's the deal," announced Ellie, "you don't have many options. Right now you're a wanted federal officer. By now Interpol will have your name, your ident number, and they probably seized your accounts so you won't have any money. Now, if you want I can drop you off on the nearest planet. I don't know much about you, Matt – " her voice tested the name still, attempting to make the unfamiliar familiar.

"but I'm figuring you're a man who not used to livin' a life on the run"

Matt starred. He tried his best to keep a poker face but regardless of his attempt his body still shrugged an obvious ' _you're not wrong'_ in response.

"That's what I thought," said Ellie, "be that as it may, you know – with you being a wanted man and all. I figure that I might offer you a job. I got an opening on my crew at the moment – it's a temporary position but a position that needs fillin' nonetheless. And I was hoping you could help me out."

Matt gaped. _Was she for real?_

"You see, I'll keep the Feds off your back and you… you can help me find my friend, Tray. Most likely he's in the hands of the authorities and if all is normal in the way of the world he'll be off to trial. And after that he'll likely be sent to prison. I forsee a man of your talents being of good use in such circumstances, no?"

This _WAS_ for real. Matt stood. He rolled his shoulders working out the kinks and aches.

"What say you?" said Ellie. She extended a hand.

What else was there for him to do? He took her hand in his and found her grip firm. They shook.

"Oh and if you threaten me or my crew on account of an old habit borne from your previous career – I'll kill you," she smiled and slapped his shoulder, "welcome to the crew!"

* * *

-I hope you enjoyed Chapter 2! It's been really exciting to post and I'm looking forward to hearing what you think so far! Thanks for giving it a read! Oh and if you liked it - there be plenty more to come. :) -


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